New Zealand grounds Boeing 737 MAX

New Zealand has joined the list of countries grounding Boeing's 737 MAX 8 aircraft after one of the planes crashed in Ethiopia, killing 157 people on board.

The Civil Aviation Authority of New Zealand on Wednesday announced it would be suspending operation of the plane in the country, following talks with counterparts from the US Federal Aviation Administration and other agencies.

"The CAA's assessment has taken into consideration the level of uncertainty regarding the cause of the recent Ethiopian Airlines accident plus its review of the aircraft design," the agency said.

"This is a temporary suspension while we continue to monitor the situation closely."

Only Fiji Airways operates the plane in New Zealand. The company earlier said it was confident in its safety. It's next flight with the plane was schedule for Thursday.

Australia's Civil Aviation Safety Authority temporarily suspended two international airlines from flying their 737 MAX planes to or from the country on Tuesday.

Singapore's SilkAir had already grounded their fleet, a CASA spokesman said in a statement, while Fiji Airways will have to substitute two planes.

The aircraft has been suspended in countries across Europe and Asia since an Ethiopian Airlines 737 MAX fell from the sky minutes after take-off from Addis Ababa headed for Nairobi on Sunday,

The crash came five months after the same model, flown by Lion Air, crashed off the coast of Indonesia in October, killing 189.

Boeing said it is closely watching the situation and monitoring any updates from crash investigators.

The manufacturer said it would enact software and training upgrades across the fleet in the coming weeks.